Aligning service operations strategies with customer multi-channel behavior

Funder

Organizational Unit

Publications

Customer use of virtual channels in multichannel services: does type of activity matter?

Publication . Sousa, Rui; Amorim, Marlene; Rabinovich, Elliot; Sodero, Anníbal C.

Many firms have recently adopted virtual channels, based most notably on the Internet and the phone, to complement the delivery of services to their customers by their existing physical facilities. The success of such multichannel (MC) strategies relies on the alignment of service design decisions—namely those concerning the allocation of service activities to virtual channels—with customers’ MC behavior. Although prior studies have looked at the intensity with which customers use virtual channels, they have not addressed virtual channel use for different types of service activities. In our study, we investigate whether customers’ use of virtual channels for MC services varies with the type of service activities they engage in, and if so, in what way. In doing so, we address two objectives. First, we investigate the impact of accessibility to the physical channel on the degree of use of virtual channels (Internet and phone, aggregated) for different types of activities. Second, we look at channel preferences (Internet vs. phone) for different types of activities when customers do resort to virtual channels to conduct activities. To address our objectives, we develop and test hypotheses regarding customers’ use of virtual channels based on the match between activity attributes (complexity and volume)and channel attributes (access efficiency, interface efficiency, interface richness). Using data from a MC bank, we find that the impact of accessibility to physical channels (specifically, customer distance) on customers’ use of virtual channels, as well as the relative use of Internet versus phone, depend on the type of activities. [Submitted: February 26, 2013. Revised: January 23, 2014. Accepted: January 30, 2014.]

2015Journal article

Restricted access

Architectures for multichannel front-office service delivery models

Publication . Sousa, Rui; Amorim, Marlene

Purpose – Multichannel (MC) service providers have been adopting a wide diversity of front-office service delivery models, i.e. different ways of employing channels to support the delivery of the service activities that involve customer interaction. Despite this, we are still faced with a paucity of concepts to understand the myriad of possible choices. The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework and basic design architectures to provide a structured understanding of the diversity of operational design choices for MC front-office service delivery models, their efficacy implications, and how they fit with the provider’s service strategy. Design/methodology/approach – The study employs the analytical conceptual approach. The authors logically develop the architectures based on the operations management theory and provide corresponding empirical illustrations based on secondary sources, direct observation, and case studies. Findings – The authors propose two theoretically meaningful dimensions to characterize and distinguish between delivery models (channel redundancy and channel span) and put forward four anchor architectures for such models: generalist, parallel, constricted, and centralized. The authors identify the operational efficacy implications (effectiveness and efficiency) of the different architectures, and develop a set of propositions and design principles for selecting appropriate architectures. Research limitations/implications – Future research should develop empirical measures for the dimensions underlying the architectures. Originality/value – The study extends existing service process classifications by capturing the MC traits of front-office processes. The authors offer design principles to assist firms in selecting architectures that are aligned with their service strategy. The framework and architectures provide seminal concepts to support a wealth of future empirical studies.

2018Journal article

Restricted access

Customer Use of Virtual Channels in Multichannel Services: Does Type of Activity Matter?

Unknown

Multi-channel deployment: a methodology for the design of multi-channel service processes

Publication . Sousa, Rui; Amorim, Marlene; Pinto, Guida Marques; Magalhães, Ana

This study develops a methodology for assisting service providers in the choice of the service channels (e.g. physical facilities, the Internet, phone) to employ to support the delivery to customers of the several stages of a service process (from information search to after-sales). We build on the principles of the service concept, service blueprinting and quality function deployment (QFD) to develop a stepwise procedure for: (i) translating customer requirements into a corresponding service concept across distinct service process stages; and (ii) specify the channels that support customer interaction at each stage. Based on the QFD logic, the multi-channel deployment methodology employs a number of matrices that consider the way channel choices fit with the intended service concept, considering both the customer and the provider perspectives, thus aligning ‘the voice of the customer’ with the ‘voice of the provider’.

2016Journal article

Restricted access